Proximity ventilated grill-ranges are known in the art. For example, a gas downdraft grill-range is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,610 issued Nov. 8, 1983 to Berlik. In this prior gas downdraft grill-range, modular cooking units or cartridges are utilized and the grill unit includes a pair of centrally located tubular burners which extend from front to rear within the grill cartridge.
More recently, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,470, grill ranges have been improved by the provision of a gas burner which is constructed and disposed within a burner pan to produce non-uniform heat output relative to the front-to-rear center line of the burner pan and with greater heat output close to the burner pan side wall opposite the intake of the proximity ventilation system. The positioning and construction of the heater and a grill grate, which is designed to control the volume of combustion air entering the burner pan, provide for controlled heating with the proximity ventilation system in operation.
In the improved grill range of U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,470, a housing defines a burner pan having first and second side walls spaced laterally from the front-to-rear center line. The proximity ventilation system has an air inlet extending along the first side wall of the burner pan. The grill grate includes upwardly directed openings overlying the burner pan. The gas burner is mountable within the burner pan and is constructed and disposed within the burner pan to produce non-uniform heat output relative to the front-to-rear center line, with greater heat output being produced relatively closer to the second side wall of the burner pan, which is located opposite the exhaust air inlet.
A burner support structure is provided for mounting the burner in the burner pan. The burner support structure includes bracket having first and second bracket portions which are utilized in mounting the burner within the burner pan. The first bracket portion includes an elongated, inverted, L-shaped section which extends generally horizontally along, and is welded or otherwise secured to, the bottom of the gas burner. The downwardly-extending, vertical leg of the inverted L-shaped section defines a baffle or deflector which extends parallel to the body of the burner. The first bracket portion further includes a first arm formed from inverted V-shaped channel stock for promoting grease drainage. This arm is joined to and extends outwardly in a substantially perpendicular direction from the inverted L-shaped section of the bracket. The first arm has a downwardly-turned mounting tab which includes a downwardly-opening slot for receiving a first mounting stud attached to the second side wall of the burner pan. The second bracket portion is likewise secured to the bottom of the gas burner and includes a second arm also formed from inverted V-shaped channel stock. The second bracket portion extends outwardly from the gas burner and has a downwardly opening slot for receiving a mounting stud attached to the first side wall of the burner pan.
As indicated above, the first bracket portion of the supporting bracket for the burner includes an elongated, downwardly-extending, L-shaped section which forms a baffle or deflector extending parallel to the body of the burner. The baffle or deflector retards airflow adjacent the second side wall of the burner pan to achieve improved flame characteristics adjacent the baffle for retaining maximum heat in the vicinity of the main body portion of the burner. In other words, the baffle or deflector prevents the flame from being pulled under the burner by the velocity of combustion air pulled into the burner pan through openings therein. This permits convective heat thermals to rise in a substantially vertical path in the area superadjacent the burner. In addition, cast aluminum grates are provided which include front-to-rear extending upwardly projecting ribs. As air is drawn from the surface of the grates, the rib closest to the second wall of the burner will initially retard and deflect the air in an upward direction to enhance the convective airflow above the grill burner unit. The relatively thick section or depth of the horizontal grill grate ribs slow the rate of vertical airflow from the burner pan and retard the velocity of air pulled from the surface of the grill grates toward the air inlet of the proximity ventilation system. In addition, the arrangement of the grill grate openings and the baffle or deflector associated with the burner combine to provide increased heating at the second side of the burner pan, and fast, uniform, convective cooking at less than maximum burner settings.
Increased industry activity has been directed to reducing temperatures at the countertop adjacent to cooktops without curtailing their effectiveness, to permit greater flexibility in the installation of cooktops, especially in their spacing from walls and other cabinets.